UnFictionalUnbelievably true stories of chance encounters that changed the world. A pair of mail-order shoes that led to the film The Outsiders. A secret road to a California paradise. The day LA and smog first met. Stories that will stick in your head like a memory. It’s UnFictional, hosted by Bob Carlson.

Don't @ Me with Justin SimienJoin me, Justin Simien, each week for unfiltered conversations with the stars, artists and creators shaping our culture. If you’ve seen my show and film, Dear White People, you know we’re going to get into how race, gender, and sexuality impacts our lives and shapes our work. Beyond the knee-jerk reactions and Twitter hot takes, my guests and I get real and raw. Don't like what you hear? Don't @ Me.

The Wrath of Comic-Con

First... Comedian and writer Dana Gould is a proud aficionado of geek culture and a veteran of several Comic-Cons. But as the event started growing over the years, Dana noticed something about the convention-goers that challenged his assumptions of what it meant to be be a geek. That is, until the encounter that provided a cold splash of reality.

Next... Nine-year-old Dan Telfer loved collecting action figures as a way to escape bullies and create his own controllable reality. In fact, he loved them SO much, that Dan decided to create his own elaborate action figure line and send it to a toy company, thereby launching his lifetime career. Unfortunately, his new activity takes over his life and sends him to the edge of young boy madness.

Comedian Dan Telfer is based in Los Angeles. You can find him online or on Twitter. That story was recorded by Nick White next to the Nerdist Showroom at Meltdown Comics.

Young Daniel William Telfer was played by Jeremy Nelson.

Photo by GoofyGoof

Finallly... The last thing you'd expect to find at Comic-Con is a superhero. Oh sure, you'll see plenty of people in superhero outfits. But for the most part, the ones wearing the spandex are really there for the video games, movies and comic books, not crime fighting. But one year at the convention there was a moment when chaos ensued and the public was frozen in shock. Suddenly a lone figure stepped away from the crowd to take action, and no one knew his name. The story is told by Emma Courtland and Tyler Graim. It was recorded by UnFictional contributor Margy Rochlin.